State Library of Queensland – The Corner

Project drivers included the 80,000+ annual visits, 20 years of successful operations, and national leadership in The Corner programs, aiming to best meet these community needs in a new home. The brief was to create a dedicated play-based early childhood learning environment. Challenges included indirect access, competing library uses, and limited capacity due to ongoing popularity. The project aimed to establish a scalable model for public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres across Queensland. It also needed to integrate with the existing building fabric and Millennium Library Project, while securing substantial philanthropic and sponsorship support through the Queensland Library Foundation.

Collaboration was central to the project, balancing State Library’s vision, visitor needs, layered design solutions, fundraising and deliverability challenges. Drawing from Timothy Hill’s reference design, designers transformed the former studio within its award-winning built form, playing upon openness, visual and courtyard connections, while drawing from established design cues and colour palettes. The architectural design deeply supports children's sensory exploration, motor development, and imagination. Key decisions to value engineer scope elements focusing on core deliverables ensured project delivery against fundraising support. The result is a joyful, adaptable environment, with an integrated parent's room, supporting diverse play-based learning and increased visitor capacity.

The impact has been immediate, with The Corner proving immensely popular with visitors. As a free service within a public cultural institution, it delivers strong social outcomes through a creative, inclusive, and connected learning environment for children and families. Extended opening hours have increased accessibility, with built-in architectural play experiences supporting engagement beyond programmed activities. The Corner aims to attract many more than 80,000 visitors annually, expand partnerships for greater community impact and strengthen family knowledge and skills that support children’s development.

Dedicated entrance privileges children and families accessibility Art studio is a flexible maker space, designed to withstand creative mess in an inspiring studio environment, for experimentation. Integrated resource bays, rich blue colours and ripple materials evoke a sense of movement and wonder. Robust and functional painted ply, stainless steel, marmoleum and sink hide-aways are easily maintainable features. Giant multi-functional soft play building blocks are bespoke design elements for sitting, climbing, and constructing. Silicon fabric covers create a soft yet hard wearing finish. The baby cave is a more intimate, organic shaped area for our youngest visitors. Upholstered functional seating is ideal for baby exploration with acoustic panels to modulate noise, creating a calm environment. Hard-wearing, cork-based products are a juxtaposition and enclose the window lookout seat. Drawing from existing architectural language there is much to discover, mirrors in unexpected places, golden features and nooks to read in. There are lookouts to see our cultural neighbours, shapes, movement and sounds promoting playful social interactions, key for children's early development and learning. The courtyard’s sensory garden features native plants with colour, scent and texture to be explored. It is a shaded, peaceful natural environment to connect with the programmed sensory sessions.